Another year, another hugely successful edition of VTB
Capital’s annual RUSSIA CALLING! investment forum,
which brings together leading global institutional investors as
well as many of Russia’s largest and most powerful
corporates under one roof in Moscow.

The forum has become a bellwether of the global business
scene, offering investors from around the world the chance to
meet and build relations with the country’s
corporate chiefs – while shaking hands on deals that
will continue to drive forward Russia’s rebounding
economy.

This year’s RUSSIA CALLING! forum proved to be
yet another dazzling success. Attendance was up 10% on last
year’s figures, as a record 2,000 delegates,
including more than 400 from over 60 nations flocked to the
World Trade Centre building in central Moscow, according to
figures just released by VTB Capital.

But it was less the quantity of the attendees and more their
individual and overall quality that mattered, says Olga
Podoinitsyna, Member of the Board at VTB Capital.

"We are Russia’s leading investment forum, and
our audience is highly focused and very selective in terms of
whom we invite," she says. "We had CEOs and fund managers from
Europe, the US, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia attend.
Many of the biggest African business were here too. It was a
very high-quality turnout."

The figures will help to rebuff speculation that interest in
Russia among international investors was declining.

A newly competitive ruble and fresh growth in some sectors
of the economy have helped spur renewed interest from Europe,
the US and Asia. High-profile media outlets such as The Daily
Telegraph and Euromoney were among a large contingent to travel
from the UK.

You only need to look at the list of delegates and speakers
to see the truth in that.

VTB Capital’s RUSSIA CALLING! investment forum
offered leading domestic and global investors the chance to
meet and interact with the country’s political
powerbrokers, from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir
Putin – the forum’s star speaker
– to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Governor of
the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) Elvira Nabiullina.

President Putin answered questions for more than an hour in
what proved to be the cornerstone of the three-day event, at a
panel entitled: 'Promoting durable cooperation, unlocking
growth opportunities’.

The President was flanked by a host of leading corporate
figures from around the world, including Andrey Kostin,
Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, Lazarus Zim, CEO
of Mexico-based Atisa Group, and Stefan Schulte, Chairman of
the Executive Board at German airport services giant Fraport,
which is the lead developer on the reconstruction of
St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport.

The deep bench of talent on stage engaged in a lengthy Q&A
session that included lively debate on issues ranging from the
state of the global economy to investment in
Russia’s infrastructure space.

Many of the leading lights had arrived straight off a plane
from Lima and another key annual global business and trade
conference, this one co-hosted by the IMF and the World Bank.
Discussions in the Peruvian capital had ranged from the timing
of an interest-rate hike in the United States, to
China’s slowing economy, to growth forecasts
across the emerging world.

At VTB Capital’s RUSSIA CALLING!, President
Putin showered the central bank with praise for its role in
helping weather the recent economic storms, exacerbated by
oil prices plateauing at a lower level. "We have generally
reached the peak of the crisis, and overall our economy is
adapting to these new economic circumstances," the President
noted approvingly, adding that capital flows had reversed in
the third quarter of 2015 – a clear sign that
corporates and funds are again starting to view the country
as a focal point for new investment opportunities.

Even more happens behind the scenes at the forum, adds VTB
Capital’s Podoinitsyna. Panels and public
debates – including the one moderated by the
prominent CNN journalist Richard Quest, which was the public
highlight of the forum’s second day –
are vital to imbuing the occasion with a sense of
immediacy.

The behind-the-scenes meetings between foreign investors
and Russian corporates are just as vital. "These one-on-ones
are really important – in fact, they have a direct
influence on all parties," says Podoinitsyna. "For both
Russian firms and international investors, these private
sessions provide an indicator of how much demand there is
from global funds and corporates in domestic companies and
assets.

"Sometimes this year, we found ourselves running more than
100 meetings simultaneously every hour. Strong demand among
international institutional delegates for time with one or
more of our key executives at VTB Capital is one of the main
reasons why RUSSIA CALLING! was so successful, and extended
long into the third day."

VTB Capital bravely decided to push ahead with last
year’s event, despite the storm clouds hovering
over the economy. This year, much of that gloom has
dispersed, making it doubly important for the investment bank
and its leading executives to send out a key message directly
to the international investor community: that Russia is still
fully open to business.

"We wanted to show the world that Russia is an integral
player in the global business and financial community, and
that no matter how big the challenges, it is in
everyone’s interests to work together to
continue to build, develop and profit from a strong Russian
economy," says VTB Capital’s Podoinitsyna.

Having spent the last seven years turning VTB Capital from
a new operation into Russia’s most powerful and
globalised investment bank, the next step is about buildings
on those gains.

"It’s not just about developing our business,
but about creating a new business environment for us and for
Russia – and communicating that to the world," says
Podoinitsyna. "Our products and our ability to create
tailor-made solutions for any scenario ensure that we will
continue to meet our clients’ expectations, and
our own shareholders’ expectations, in every
market.

"Building for the future also means adapting to changing
market conditions, and in ensuring that the products we
provide are the ones that our customers really need," she
adds. "That means adapting to ensure that we are working
arm-in-arm with our customers, whether they are operating in
Asia, Europe, the US, Africa, or Latin America.

"Our hope is that the global economic situation will
improve, and that we can keep on playing an integral
commercial part in that process. Continuing to develop our
business around the world, and communicating the strength of
our brand to international investors and corporate clients,
is as vital to our future as is the current and future
success of our annual RUSSIA CALLING! investment
forum."

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